Abstract:

This study addresses what characterises the EU’s role as an international actor by drawing on ‘civilian power Europe’ role concept as a fruitful point of reference. It analyses the scope of the concept from a broad point of view including the other characteristics of a civilian power instead of a narrow focus on the civilian versus military debate with a special empirical reference to the EU’s trade policy as Europe’s most long-standing and most powerful external policy realm. The study argues that EU’s trade policy mostly reflects ‘civilian power’ character of the EU. This is not only because it concerns one of the most obvious examples of non-military means of power and is mainly oriented towards persuasive measures (carrots) rather than coercive ones but also it aims at achieving normative objectives so as to shape the international environment. Instead of following first and foremost geopolitical interests, the EU binds itself to international norms and promotes values it believes in through its engagement in bilateral and multilateral settings. Therefore, the study concludes that the EU is a ‘civilian power’ not only because of its emphasis on non-military instruments and persuasive measures in international affairs, but also due to its civilising impacts (by pursuing the spread of particular norms) on the environment beyond its borders.

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